Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
†YOWDER, n., v. Also youder, ewder; yowther, youther, (e)uther, and deriv. forms ewdroch, -uch (see -Och, suff., II. 2.(1)).
I. n. 1. A very unpleasant smell, of fumes from burning (n.Sc. 1808 Jam., ewder, ewdruch; Abd. 1911).Abd. 1748 R. Forbes Ajax 4:
He took to speed o' fit, because He cou'd na' bide the ewder.Sc. 1785 Scots Mag. (Oct.) 504:
The City Guard, a loathsome lodge O' filth an' uther.Ags. 1993 Mary McIntosh in Joy Hendry Chapman 74-5 112:
The fousome guff wis like tae mak him boak but he chockit it back. ... He delascht a roon o billits at the ruif. Aathing went quait. The air wis fou o the yowther an the wheesht dirled his lugs.
2. Steam, smoke or vapour (Mry. 1825 Jam., yowther; Abd. Ib., ewder, ewdruch).Sc. 1814 Illustr. North. Antiq. 271:
The yowther drifted sae high i' the sky The sun worth a' sae red.Abd. 1826 D. Anderson Poems 101:
Garin' their pipes gang like kills, Whilk rais'd a horrid euther O' reek that day.Abd. 1832 A. Beattie Poems 138:
Nor wad it skaum, nor wad it scowder, Though i' the mids o' flaming youder.Dmf. 1836 J. Mayne Siller Gun 89:
Some chaps, bumbaz'd amid the yowder, Pat in the ball before the powder.
3. The fluff or dust of flax (Uls. 1924 Northern Whig (9 Jan.), yowther).Ayr. 1825 Jam.:
There's a ewdroch here like the mottie sin.
¶II. v. Only in ppl.adj. yowtherin, noisome, foul-smelling.Per. 1934 W. Soutar Poems (1961) 106:
Here in the yowtherin vennels I am weirded to dee.
